TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei District Court (台北地方法院) continued Thursday (Aug. 7) its explosive hearing of the Core Pacific City corruption scandal, summoning former Taiwan People's Party (民眾黨, TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). The courtroom drama intensified during a recess when Ko erupted in anger, smashing a water cup and hurling profanities at the prosecutor. The Taiwan People's Party represents a third political force challenging Taiwan's traditional two-party system.
Ko expressed mounting frustration over his prolonged detention, revealing he had changed cellmates eight times during his incarceration. The former mayor criticized the prosecutor's demand for a harsh 28-year, six-month sentence, angrily stating that even rape and murder cases don't take this long. Presiding Judge Chiang Chun-yen (江俊彥) explained that the judicial panel carefully evaluated the reasons and necessity for Ko's continued detention, considering available evidence and the High Court's decision to uphold the detention order.
Ko mounted his defense by arguing that a civil servant testified that applying for volume bonuses under Article 24 of the Urban Planning Act (都市計畫法) is a legal right. The review process falls under the Urban Planning Commission's (都委會) jurisdiction, Taiwan's municipal body responsible for city development decisions. Ko emphasized his already lengthy 12-month detention while responding to the ongoing legal debate surrounding the legitimacy of the profiteering charges against him. ◼